Acidification of Food Products

Abstract

A process for acidifying a food product. The process can include providing a food product having an initial pH, adding a first acid to the food product so as to adjust the initial pH of the food product to an intermediate pH of the food product, adding a second acid to the food product so as to adjust the intermediate pH of the food product to a final pH of the food product, wherein an acidified food product having the final p is produced.

1 . A process for acidifying a food product, comprising:
 a) providing a food product having an initial pH;   b) adding a first acid to the food product so as to adjust the initial pH of the food product to an intermediate pH of the food product;   c) adding a second acid to the food product so as to adjust the intermediate pH of the food product to a final pH of the food product;   wherein an acidified food product having the final pH is produced.   
     
     
         2 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the first acid comprises gluconic acid. 
     
     
         3 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the second acid comprises an acid selected from the group consisting of lactic acid, citric acid, malic acid, oxalic acid, acetic acid, propionic acid, butyric acid, tartaric acid, adipic acid, malonic acid, succinic acid, pimelic acid, suberic acid, azelaic acid, sebacic acid, glycine, and mixtures and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The process of  claim 1  and further comprising adding a third acid to the acidified food product. 
     
     
         5 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein steps b and c are performed sequentially such that step (b) is completed before step (c) commences. 
     
     
         6 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the initial pH of the food product is greater than about 4.0. 
     
     
         7 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the intermediate pH of the food product is less than the initial pH of the food product. 
     
     
         8 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the initial pH of the food product decreases to about 4.6 after the first acid is added. 
     
     
         9 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the intermediate pH of the food product decreases during the addition of the second acid. 
     
     
         10 . The process of  claim 9  and wherein the intermediate pH decreases to less than about 3.9. 
     
     
         11 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the final pH of the food product is less than about 3.9. 
     
     
         12 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the second acid comprises lactic acid. 
     
     
         13 . The process of  claim 12  and wherein the lactic acid is added as a solution at about 1M. 
     
     
         14 . The process of  claim 2  and wherein the gluconic acid is added as a solution at about 1M. 
     
     
         15 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the food product comprises a food product selected from the group of solid food products, liquid food products, and semi-solid food products. 
     
     
         16 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the food product comprises a puree. 
     
     
         17 . The process of  claim 1  and wherein the adding steps are performed in an open environment. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 1  and further comprising refrigerating the acidified food product. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 1  and further comprising thermally treating the acidified food product. 
     
     
         20 . An acidified food product prepared by an acidification process comprising:
 a) providing a food product having an initial pH;   b) adding a first acid to the food product so as to adjust the initial pH of the food product to an intermediate pH of the food product;   c) adding a second acid to the food product so as to adjust the intermediate pH of the food product to a final pH of the food product;   wherein the acidified food product having the final pH is produced.